The big track meet is coming up this weekend. You are running a couple important races. The question you probably get asked the most is, “Are you nervous?”

Amazingly, nervousness isn’t caused by some monster or outside force. It is pretty much caused by YOU and how you are reacting to the situation. So, if you cause the nervousness, then you can certainly learn some ways for you to stop being nervous.

Part of a coach’s job is to put you in the best position possible to succeed. The more confident you feel about your preparation going into a game, the less jittery you might be about that game.

Sometimes that doesn’t always work. When that happens you need to take control of the situation. Here are 5 easy tips that you can do to keep those pre-game jitters at bay.

  1. Slow your breathing down! – It certainly is okay to be nervous before a game, but if you are really bugging out then do this simple breathing trick. Breathe in for 4 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds and do that ten times. This will calm you down and get you to re-focus on the goals at hand.
  2. Don’t focus on the uncontrollable! – Athletes, and people in general, can get all worked up over things you really have no control over. Who your opponent is and their abilities is one such example. You can’t control the size, speed, or playing ability of the opponent. The weather, a coach’s decision, or a referee’s decision are others. These items are beyond your control. Worrying about them will not change them whatsoever. So let it go.
  3. Maintain a sense of normalcy! – You hear this all the time with football players before the Super Bowl. The team that can really make it feel like it is just another game is going to be better off. The more you can keep the game situation normal, the better chance the moment will not get the best of you. Keep a familiar warm-up or pre-game ritual the same. Don’t deviate. This isn’t the league championship, this is just another meet, so go about your business as usual.
  4. Keep your mind distracted! – People tend to get themselves in an emotional mess when their mind isn’t occupied. They start thinking of all sorts of things that relate to the current game situation and it bugs the heck out of them. Unless, you can put your mind to focusing on some of the above suggestions, you need to pre-occupy yourself. Read for a few minutes, listen to music, play some cards, and then when it is time to prepare focus on the above suggestions not the other crap.
  5. Have fun!! – Remember this is first and foremost. Yes, you might lose the race, but you should be having fun trying not to lose. If playing your sport causes you more stress than bungee jumping, you need to re-read these suggestions.